Monday, January 14, 2013

Do You Need a Tumblr?

Which brands can get the most out of using Tumblr? What brands have to be on there, and which ones can stick to Facebook/Twitter? For brands that don’t know where to start with it, what are some tips for connecting with Tumblr fans?

1. Less complicated than a blog but more flexible than Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr works best with visual content—for example, memes that can be expressed with mashed-up pics (think Texts From Hillary, McKayla Is Not Impressed, and Binders Full of Women). You don’t need to write a full-length post, but you’re not limited by the lack of a headline, 140 characters, or a single photo size.

2. As such, a Tumblr is ideal for those in a creative field. For example, photographers use the platform to showcase their portfolios, especially since a Tumblr is easier to maintain than a regular website. It’s also worth noting, as Jeff Bercovici recently did, that many writers have used a Tumblr to score a book deal; see Animals With Casts, Dear Old Love, and My Parents Were Awesome.

3. At this point, most brands don’t need a Tumblr. Tumblr is more of a luxury than a necessity. It caters to youth brands with a niche and savvy customer base.

4. The downside to Tumblr: it’s one-directional. This isn’t a platform for two-way conversation. Tumblrs facilitate the pushing out of content, not pulling it in.

5. Nor is this the place for FAQs. It’s a place to pull back the curtain and show a little leg. For example, Mashable offers glimpses of the scenes at its HQ, while Newsweek and PRWeek provide marginalia of what didn’t make the cut into the main website.